Case Number 12712

NCIS: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON

The Charge

Opening Statement

NCIS returns for a "season of secrets," a year in which
nothing is quite what it seems and everyone has a skeleton or two in their
closet (and, in one case, their backyard).

Facts of the Case

After three seasons as the best show on television that no one ever talked
about, Donald P. Bellisario's Navy cop series finally ascends to the top of the
ratings and garners the attention it deserves in its fourth full year.
Thankfully, cast and crew opt not to rest on their laurels, taking this amiable
drama to a whole new level.

The Evidence

In its fourth season, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service truly
hits its stride. Star Mark Harmon begins to explore the emotional layers beneath
the crusty surface of his gruff, ex-Marine character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs,
dealing with both his troubled past and a budding romance. Michael Weatherly's
Tony DiNozzo also finds himself in a serious, season-long love affair, allowing
him to mature into a more competent, less buffoonish second-in-command. Sean
Murray's Tim McGee is no longer the timid, clumsy rookie agent he was in
previous years, having now been given a younger sister and a side career as a
mystery novelist. After just one season as the attractive but tough-as-nails
agency director, Lauren Holly has already become a vital and intriguing addition
to the team. Similarly, Cote de Pablo has fully emerged from the shadow of her
predecessor, Sasha Alexander, and become a genuine star of the show in her own
right. David McCallum and Pauley Perrette continue to keep things lively as the
eccentric medical examiner "Ducky" Mallard and goth forensic
technician Abby Sciuto, respectively. Even Brian Dietzen's comic relief morgue
assistant, Jimmy Palmer, begins to come into his own, developing a funny
clandestine romance with by-the-book "probie" (probational agent)
Michelle Lee (Liza Lapira). These likable characters having become old friends
to viewers after three increasingly well-written, well-acted campaigns, the
producers are now able to take them into uncharted territory and challenge the
formula of the show without undermining its appeal. The resulting 24 episodes
represent the best year of the popular JAG spin-off yet.

The season opens with a slam-bang action tale that finds de Pablo's Mossad
Officer Ziva David wanted for murder and desperately turning to the retired
Gibbs for help. From there, the year thunders forward through some genuinely
bizarre cases and thrilling plot twists, building to a powerful cliff-hanger in
which everything you thought you knew about the developing story arcs is turned
on its proverbial ear. Highlights along the way include: "Faking It,"
in which Gibbs' former partner comes to D.C. to help put away a Russian arms
dealer, "Smoked," in which the body of a serial killer is found
literally smoked in the furnace of an elementary school, "Blowback," a
first-rate spy thriller which brings to the forefront French arms kingpin Le
Grenouille (Armand Assante), "Dead Man Walking," in which Ziva falls
for a man who has been intentionally poisoned with radiation, and the powerful
"Grace Period," in which two NCIS agents are killed by terrorists
while pulling weekend duty that was supposed to go to Gibbs' team.

Even the weaker episodes are enjoyable, due largely to the attractive,
charismatic cast members and the wonderful chemistry between them. "Singled
Out" is a modest crime caper that comes alive when DiNozzo is confronted
with the prospect of leaving to lead his own team, and Ziva is sent undercover
as a nerdy speed-dating candidate. The Halloween episode, "Witch
Hunt," is a fairly mundane kidnapping tale that works because of the scenes
in which DiNozzo and McGee are unable to hide their reaction to Abby's sexy
Marilyn Monroe costume. "Twisted Sister" starts strong but quickly
becomes contrived, and is saved primarily by Murray's performance and the funny
revelation that McGee's best-selling book is based on his real-life teammates.
Later in the year, his writing career again takes center stage when someone
steals the unfinished manuscript for his next novel and begins copying the
kills. The best part of this improbable follow-up, entitled "Cover
Story," is again the effective acting of the underrated Murray. The year's
silliest tale, "Driven," is about a prototype HumVee that kills one of
its designers on the eve of an important test drive. The story has one good
dramatic moment (McGee's momentary inattention nearly causes Abby to suffer the
same fate, and the two later make up), but the real draw is a running gag about
sexual harassment in the workplace, set up in the hilarious opening scene.

As the last paragraph indicates, NCIS does commit some of the same
transgressions common to other primetime cop dramas, presenting its viewers with
a fair number of far-fetched crimes and unlikely subplots. The difference is
that this is a character-driven show filled with characters that are actually
enjoyable to have around. Unlike the grim C.S.I. franchise and its
somber, self-absorbed protagonists, the heroes of NCIS seem like people
you could have a beer with after a long day at the office. They have a natural
rapport with one another that makes them credible and accessible to the viewer,
and the writers are savvy enough to provide them with tension-breaking comedic
lines which are not unnecessarily ironic or cynical. Because these characters
are so well-drawn by the creative team and so well-essayed by the cast, the
audience genuinely feels for them when they are in trouble, just as we laugh
with them when they are ribbing one another. The second half of Season Four does
feature some heavy drama (including several tragic deaths, a good deal of
soul-searching, and a few complex romantic entanglements), but these serious
moments are too effective to undermine the overall tone of the program or
alienate viewers weary of slick soap operas and soulless tabloid sleaze
masquerading as police procedurals. Producer Bellisario (Magnum P.I.,
Quantum Leap, JAG) has made a career out of creating shows with
likable casts, and the NCIS team is his strongest ensemble yet.

In addition to featuring some of the series' finest episodes, this set also
includes some great extras. Six episodes feature commentary tracks by members of
the cast and crew (with Bellisario himself providing analysis of the
season-ender, "Angel of Death"), there are six featurettes (including
a tour of the morgue set, complete with a rundown of autopsy procedure,
conducted by McCallum), and there's a fun two-part roundtable discussion with
the entire principal cast. As the show improves, so too, apparently, do the
bonus materials on the DVD releases.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

As funny as the subplot about McGee's writing career is, it stretches
credibility quite a bit -- especially as more details of his novel, "Deep
Six," come to light. There are also some warning signs for regular viewers
of series television that this show could easily become mundane, such as its
growing penchant for ill-fated romances and the increasingly serialized nature
of the plots.

Closing Statement

This is a great season of a great show, and there are plenty of bonus
materials to satisfy loyal fans who have already seen these episodes.

The Verdict

In light of its exceptional entertainment value and interesting extras, this
court believes that NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: The Fourth
Season has acted in the best interest of television viewers everywhere, and
is therefore innocent of any wrongdoing. It is hereby sentenced to permanent
incarceration on your DVD shelf.